Yellow Fever in Philadelphia

The vital need for nursing labor came to the fore again during Philadelphia’s 1793 yellow fever epidemic. Benjamin Rush, among others, promoted the false belief that Black people could not contract yellow fever. As a result, the Free African Society organized comprehensive care for fever victims – nursing the sick, transporting patients, burying the dead, cleaning streets, and providing medical treatment. In the aftermath, these Black nurses were accused by some, like pamphleteer Matthew Carey, of extortion and overcharging. Black community leaders Absalom Jones and Richard Allen responded with a publication that highlighted the individual Black nurses who had risked their lives caring for fever victims. Click here to see all the materials in this section.